Branch connection plugs are used while performing maintenance operations on information transmission networks. While maintenance operations are being performed on the electrical cabling connected to the outlet side of a junction strip, such branch connection plugs serve to redirect the electrical signals that are carried by the electrical cabling connected to the inlet side of the junction strip to branch cabling (said inlet side cabling being referred to herein as the “inlet electrical cabling”). Thus, although maintenance operations are being performed on the electrical cabling connected to the outlet side of the strip, the electrical signals can continue to be transported to their destination by means of the branch cabling.
The junction strips conventionally used in information transmission networks such as telephone networks are known (in French) as “Pouyet” strips. These junction strips have a first face to which the inlet cabling is connected, in this case constituted by sixteen inlet channels, and a second face to which the outlet cabling is connected, forming sixteen outlet channels. Each inlet or outlet channel comprises first and second electrical conductors for transmitting information, together with a ground wire. A third face of the strip has sixteen removable continuity plugs, i.e. one per inlet channel for the purpose of establishing electrical continuity between one inlet channel and a corresponding outlet channel.
When the inlet cabling is to be redirected to branch cabling, the operators manually install branch connection plugs in the junction strip. These plugs have as many electrical contact fingers as there are electrical conductors in an inlet channel. When inserted in the junction strip, each contact finger is adapted to establish electrical contact with a respective conductor of the inlet channel. The branch connection plug is connected to a branch channel. This branch channel has as many electrical conductors as there are contact fingers in the branch connection plug, each of these conductors being connected to a respective contact finger.
Thus, when the branch connection plugs are installed, the contact fingers thereof establish electrical contact with respective conductors of an inlet channel, and the electrical signals conveyed over said inlet channel are directed to the branch connection connected to the branch connection plug. When a plurality of branch connection plugs are used, the set of branch channels connected to said plugs constitutes the branch cabling.
When all the inlet channels to a junction strip need to be directed to branch channels, the operator redirects the inlet channels to the branch channels one after another by inserting the branch connection plugs one after another into the junction strip. This operation is lengthy and tedious.